CHR’s 6th DHEA patent: Enhancing female fertility with male hormones

Posted on July 27th, 2015

Creating the ideal hormonal balance is vital for female fertility. Anti-Müllerian hormone, known as AMH, reflects the number of egg cells being recruited into the maturation process. Generally, as women age, their AMH levels decrease. Researchers at the Center for Human Reproduction have discovered the androgen DHEA, normally associated with male testosterone production, counteracts this.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has issued the researchers their sixthpatent for use of DHEA. This most recent patent involves creating optimum AMH levels in women over 38 years old approaching menopause prematurely.

The researchers/patent holders discovered the importance of DHEA by chance when a fertility patient (and co-patent holder) suddenly went from producing low numbers of viable egg cells during IVF to producing a much stronger yield of high-quality egg cells. The patient later confessed she had combed through the medical literature to find unexplored treatment options. She began self-administering with DHEA without her physician’s knowledge. Today, more than a third of the world’s fertility clinics treat patients with DHEA. It all started at CHR with this one patient.

The Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), located in New York City, is one of the world’s leading clinical and research centers in reproductive medicine and infertility. CHR has special expertise in treating women with low functional ovarian reserve, and pioneered many innovations that have become mainstays of infertility treatments worldwide. CHR medical director and chief scientist Norbert Gleicher, MD, and CHR director of assisted reproductive technology David H. Barad, MD, MS, are available for further comments. Contact: 212-994-4400 x.4492

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